GET TOGETHER – THE BLOOD, THE GRAVE, THE RETURN
This week has always been a very special week in my journey with the Lord Jesus Christ. I am sure that for millions of Christians throughout the world that they feel the same way that I do. At our congregation, this week we will have a foot washing service on Tuesday Night, Friday Night we plan to have a night of praise and prayer, Saturday an Egg Hunt and cook -out and have a celebration of our Lord’s Resurrection on Sunday morning. I love every bit of it.
At the Celebration, this Sunday morning there are three key themes that I believe that the Lord wants us to focus on. The Blood, The Grave, and His Return. I encourage all who read this to go to the House of God this Sunday morning and to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ with God’s people.
This week as you prepare mediate on passages of what His suffering meant for all of us. When I think about the Blood I think about how all of us before we came to Christ were dead in our trespasses and sin. Ro 5:8,9 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him”. Now He has made us alive! He paid the price for our healing: 1Pe 2:24 “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness–by whose stripes you were healed.” Wow ! That is Good News!
They buried Him in a tomb. This grave tried to hide His glory. This grave tried to rob His followers and billions that would come later of the hope of eternal life. But the grave could not hold Him. The grave could not defeat the Hope that He brought to the world. When He came out of the tomb on the third day. Victory came! He defeated death, Hell, and the grave. Heb 2:14,15 ¶ “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
I used to think about how bad that it would be to lay in a cold damp grave, or to be burning in Hell, but praise God the grave has been defeated!
His death on the cross was a real event in human history!. His Resurrection from the dead was a real event in human history! And guess what His return will be a real event in human history!The Apostle Paul tells us 1Th 4:1,176 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
For those of us in Christ we have so much to celebrate. We thank Him for shedding His precious blood for us and for the forgiveness of our sins! Heb 9:13,14 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? We celebrate His rising from the dead on the third day! 1Co 15:4 “and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (NKJV) and once again in His return we will live with Him forever and ever. There will be no bad days, no bad moments, no bad anything! Re 21:3,4 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
If you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior I pray that this week’s Get Together will inspire you to meditate on the Blood, the Grave, and His Return. If you have not repented of your sin and became a follower of Christ my prayer for you is that you will know that He loved you enough to die on the cross for your sins. And that when He came out of the grave on that Sunday morning He did it to give you new life here and eternal life in Heaven. He will return one day. I pray that all who read this will look forward to His return and be ready when He comes.
This week ponder these things in your heart and give Him the praise that He deserves.
Let Us Pray.
Lord Jesus we know that this week marks how much that You suffered for us. It also marks You taking our sins upon Yourself so that we could have eternal life. We Praise You that the grave could not hold You. We look forward to Your return. Help us to help others to be ready when You return.
In Jesus Name
Amen.
Have a Jesus week!!
Your Friend/Kinfolk
Preston
